Project aims to make Riverside Drive in Memphis more friendly to cyclists and pedestrians

May 9, 2011 - A trolley passes at the foot of Beale Street at Riverside Drive where water is creeping up Beale in this file photo. The Mississippi River in Memphis, usually a half-mile wide, now measures 3 miles across. The rive is expected to crest Tuesday at 48 feet, just below the record set in 1937 of 48.7 feet; it is the first time the Mississippi River has exceeded even 41 feet since that record 1937 flood.(Karen Pulfer Focht)
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Riverside Drive will have a different flavor for the next 12 to 18 months, with vehicle traffic reduced from four lanes to two between Beale Street and Georgia Avenue and the other lanes dedicated for cyclists and pedestrians.

The city described this as a test period that would give technical experts a chance to evaluate the impact on traffic on Riverside Drive and other streets in Downtown until officials make a final determination on the configuration of the street.

Putting the changes into effect will take about two weeks, and the road will be closed during that time, the city said in a news release.

The Riverside Drive project is one of many projects that aim to make Memphis friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians.